Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-05-11

AS the TRIBUNE has stated IfequenC-
ly the railroads of the country. are
greatly alarmed over resent railway
legislation. They seem to think the
people are at last aroused and intend
having the protection of law against
railway extortion and injustice III the
future. Hoping to make the people
sorry for attempting any railway
legislation at all, the various roads
are combining to make the Interstate
commerce law unpopular and mo-
noply-favored men and papers and too
many people who have been deceived
by them are crying "the law must be
repealed" and Cuisines interests are
ruined" etc. etc. So far only the
railroads have been heard from. They
have placed arbitrary, unexpected
and unwarranted constructions upon
the law and have enforced them TO
the utmost extent. The roads have
also made many arbitrary rules and
rates and in many instances have de
scended to petty meannesses III the
transaction of their business and
have laid everything upon the broad
shoulders of the Interstate commerce
law. In this way they succeeded i'll
creating some temporary public senti-
ment against the law. Now, however,
we believe there is to be Il change.
The national board of railway COM
missioners have organized AMI begun
work. Their powers are ample ana
we expect soon TO see many of the
abuses, which have sprung up since
| April LIST and which are alleged to be
! due to the Interstate commerce law
corrected. The commissioners have
written all "open letter" which is full
of promise and which has about 1t
the right kind of ring. We quote as
follows:
Congress has not taken the man.
agement of the railroads out of the
hands of the railroad companies. Ii
has simply established certain gener-
al principles under which Interstate
commerce must be conducted. 1t has
enacted that all charges for inter
state transportation shall he reason
ale and just; has prohibited all man
ner of unjust determinations; has
forbidden all undue and unreasonable
preference and advantages; has re-
quired reasonable and equal facilities
for the inter change of traffic and
has prohibited the pooling of frelghts'
That, in substance, is the Interstate
commerce law.
There is nothing novel in these
provisions. They simply bring back
the business of the common carriers
to the we'll settled principles Of the
common law, yet no one can deny
that there was urgent need of their
statutory formulation. Alleged diff
culties in putting them in operation
only disclose examples of the extent
to which they have been violated in
the past"
1.-The language and the tenor of the
act wholly fail to justify railroad
managers, who refuse to accept re-
sponsibilities, decline to offer rates,
neglect to announce conditions OF
traffic, embarrass the customary in
terchange of business and impose
stagnation upon trade. 1t is still
more unjustifiable for railroad COM
aLsssae sp~sfx IA .a]
7 panies to make use On kcS%-1S4
clauses of the law, ignoring Its modi
flying and enlarging words and form
ulas, in order to impose additiona
burdens upon localities, trades, pro
LESSONS, manufacturers, consumers
classes of travellers or employees
straining and REFRESHING every con
struction in favor of the corporation
treasury, and quoting the new law al
their authority for all manner of petty
exactions. The powers of the com
mission are entirely adequate to cop'
with such conduct, the existence o
which is not affirmed, although /
has been somewhat publicly sugges
ted"